A Smith and A Soldier
by Karhien
Summary: After being "cured," Jasper has to deal with life on Earth. She resists but she gets a talk with a Crystal Gem who was bubbled and imprisoned by Rose Quartz herself. (A birthday present for Hikaru.)


**Happy birthday, Hikaru. Sorry I couldn't do more on your gift but I hope you enjoy your gift.**

 **Again, happy birthday!**

* * *

"Got room for another Gem?"

Jasper looks out and through her hair, she sees one of the Crystal Gems…

She looks away.

"Oh come on, don't want to get all up in your _Bismuth_."

Jasper narrows her eyes but keeps her sight on the once prison that Malachite was in. It's just another cage, a confinement with no use of escaping herself. She doesn't move or twitch as the Crystal Gems' Bismuth sits next to her.

"…You know, I never thought I would meet Homeworld Gems and not fight them." Bismuth chuckles. "That… son of Rose's sure is something."

Jasper growls in response, hand tightening around her arm. She couldn't' believe that human, that Gem, that _thing_ is not Rose Quartz. She wouldn't. The shield. The sword. Those eyes. All too familiar to forget in the heat of battle. She can never forget the Gem who created a war to keep this miserable planet as it is and—…

"Why do you believe Rose didn't do it?"

Bismuth whips her head to Jasper, letting some of her rainbow dreads smack her cheek.

Jasper keeps her sight on the only star that the planet has as it slowly goes down to the ocean.

She then hears Bismuth sigh and move around.

"I got bubbled by her. I didn't want to lose any more of my friends so I wanted to get back at them. The Breaking Point, a weapon that's supposed to help the Crystal Gems win…! But imagine my surprise when I saw the monsters."

Jasper tightens her hold again. She doesn't know how or why but Rose—… the human that has Rose's gem, he somehow cured her. All she could remember is the disdain, the shock, and the betrayal she felt at that question.

' _Yellow Diamond?'_

"But we saw her. They saw her shatter my Diamond with that _sword_."

' _Yellow Diamond?'_

As if what Rose didn't matter when it meant everything.

"That's the problem." Bismuth says. Jasper takes a glance. "I know that sword –I created the sword. I created and forged all the weapons that can't get summoned but I can never forget the sword I made especially for her." She takes a deep breath in… and out. "My finest piece of work. It can cut through any Gem's physical form. But it can never hurt the Gem."

Jasper feels her eyes widen. She knew there was a worker class Gem creating weapons. Humans and Gems that weren't allowed to hold weapons, though they cannot be summoned, the weapons are never easily broken.

"So, is that why?"

Bismuth nods. "Yeah. Well, there's me getting poofed and all that. But yeah, I know it's not simple like that…"

Jasper blinks a few times before looking away.

She can never understand these Crystal Gems. One planet compared to all the galaxies that the Diamonds hold and control. These Gems had sacrificed everything. Their status, their work, their own Gem for a planet with too much fragile organic life.

"…Why?"

"Excuse me?"

Jasper glares at Bismuth. "Why talk to me? Why aren't you trying to fight me? Why aren't any of you trying to shatter me? Why cure me when I was created to fend off you!"

Bismuth stares at her. A wind blows from behind both of them. But she wants an answer.

Finally, Bismuth looks away. But Jasper can see it. The familiar struggle. The struggle to fight but can't. Jasper remembers immediately wanting to come back here for personal revenge even though she knows about the Cluster and the seemingly end of Earth. Of course, it didn't end well for her again.

"Truthfully, I didn't. And I sure don't want to help Homeworld in any other way any time soon." Bismuth answers. She then puts her arms on her knees and looks straight to the star known as the Sun as it sets down further into the ocean. "But there's more going on that I can even comprehend. I mean, Rose _shattering_ a Homeworld Gem. No, shattering a Diamond without the Breaking Point –now that doesn't make sense!"

Jasper grunts. "If that human hybrid told you–"

"Nah, Steven didn't say a thing. Neither did the Amethyst with the whip and deep cut." Bismuth then chuckles. "Just trying this new tradition the Crystal Gems seem to have. And really, can't talk to the Lapis I poofed in a battle. Heh, the the newest Crystal Gem doesn't understand about being a Crystal Gem at times but she's still learning. Hahaha, _wow_! A lot definitely changed."

Bismuth breathes out a laugh.

"I guess I am, too…"

Jasper raises her head and an eyebrow.

"How?"

"Hmm? How?"

Jasper nods.

" _Well_ , not to get all up in your _Bismuth_ but still don't like Homeworld or its elites. In fact, I almost poofed the Peridot living in the other human shelter base before – _Wham_! — water punched me and Steven got us to stop. Not my fault Peridot doesn't a star. Or that Lapis Lazuli got trapped after I poofed her, you know.

"And I appreciated Rose's son in giving me another chance. And telling me more of the things that happened when I was—… Well, that's said and done. But a Bismuth like me is stubborn. Hands morph into hammers before I remember that it's not what we do anymore."

Jasper raises an eyebrow. "So talking to me helps?"

"Eh, you can work on that attitude. But then again, so should I."

"I'm fine."

"Oho, I know you distance yourself with the rest of the Gems here. Hear you talking to Amethyst and Peridot and no one else."

"I don't need _friends_. You Crystal Gems can't manipulate me."

"Whoa, whoa, I think you're thinking about Home—"

Jasper growls.

"—Different Gems. We don't force trust. We give choices. Chances, really. Rose did for me. And Steven did, too. So as much as I want to poof you, I wanna give you a chance like them."

Jasper blinks and then scoffs.

"You're wasting your time…"

Bismuth laughs. "Yeah, knew it wasn't going to be easy. But hey, just so you know, you have me to talk to if the other two are busy."

Jasper doesn't answer. But somehow, she feels a swelling of relief and happiness. She shouldn't be.

Both say nothing as they watch the Sun disappear into the ocean and the darkness shrouds over.

Jasper looks up and gasps.

There, the base where she would command and watch over. The base where Jasper got a reward to actually talk to her after Jasper got out and created victories for her.

"Huh? You okay, Jasper?"

Jasper stares past the moon. Half shadowed over with stars and galaxies all around. Conquered and used places from each living Diamond to use. But now…

Jasper looks back at the moon where the base is.

The base where it's now a reminder of now. The base is just an empty and shattered dream of what could been wonderful. It's a reminder of Jasper's failure.

Jasper hugs herself and lets her eyes fall down.

"No…" She answers. "No, I need to be stronger."

Bismuth hums and says nothing. Jasper appreciates it.

For now, they're just two Gems. Watching as part of Earth turns into night.

A smith and a soldier, not the only Gems here but all alone on this planet…


End file.
